BILBAO ESTUARY ENVIRONMENTAL REGENERATION

Area of activity
WATER AND ENVIRONMENT

Service
Environment and biodiversity

Client
Autonomous Port of Bilbao

Scope

• Regeneration detailed design project
• Final report of the works development

Duration
1999-2003

The Integral Environmental Regeneration Project of the Bilbao Estuary covers the entire fluvial system of the upper section of the Nervion Estuary and four tributaries, two on the left bank, the Kadagua and the Galindo, and two on the right bank, the Gobela-Udondo and the Asúa.

Among other actions, after the development of a hydrological study of the basins, by means of a hydro-meteorological model, actions for the treatment of the banks were contemplated. It was decided to treat the river beds by means of the appropriate elimination of the sediments formed by the natural dragging of erosion particles and by those coming from urban and industrial wastewater discharges.

Likewise, the treatment of extracted waste was defined to avoid the alteration of the natural conditions of the environment of influence, by means of dumping in a controlled landfill. Small maintenance and improvement works were also defined for existing bridges, to avoid hydraulic obstacles, such as the bridge over the Gobela River, where, in addition to resurfacing and providing new protective railings, the construction of reinforced concrete stairs was planned to connect the bridge with the new riverside road planned on the river bank.

Finally, the revegetation and landscape recovery project were carried out, applying the ecological characteristics of the river section and improving the visual and landscape conditioning factors in the surrounding area.